A Time To Act: A Time to Date Sequel More Depressing and Scientifical
by Jatd4ever
Summary: When did she begin to dream? Time, it wanted to make her a dreamer, and even if logic told her otherwise, it took a little longer than usual to accept it. Behind closed eyes, she could sense him, see him, knowing how real he had always been. If only she had made it all up, then at least she could laugh at the t, it was still a dream which would not come true (Chloe/Ice)


***I don't own anything, and this is a work of fiction.**

 **AN: Alright, I think I can do this. This fic is a sequel for everyone who loved my we bare bears "A Time To Date" fic. When I originally wrote that fic, I was inspired by... Well many things. I love the concept of time travel, romance, and I loved we bare bears. If I ever continued which now you see that I am, I warn you that while there will be silly stuff, it might not always be such a silly story. This one is a little more serious, a whole lot longer, and will most likely be confusing at times. There are various time travel references, as well as clear rick and morty references. If there are any questions or you need to correct me on my grammar, pm or comment. So here is chapter one of what I'm hoping is a six chapter fic. Might be longer, depends how much trouble the characters are. Thanks for the support, and I hope it won't be too Ooc.**

* * *

 **Time** **[tahym]**

 _ **noun**_

 **1)** The system of those sequential relations that any event has to any other, as past, present, or future; indefinite and continuous duration regarded as that in which events succeed one another.

 **2)** Duration regarded as belonging to the present life as distinct from the life to come or from eternity; finite duration.

* * *

 _Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition._ - **Steve Jobs**

* * *

 **XXXXXXX**

She blinked and he was gone.

True, what had been once considered impossible was a living dream. All around her, the landscape stretched, the moon taunted, bathing her in its illumination. The crisp air whipped her hair about, and she pulled the strings of her hoody tightly. Moments ago, enveloped in his softness, she'd thought for once, perhaps she could possibly be happy. Chloe's eyes had not failed her, she saw her beloved friend again, her silent, natural, wonderful friend.

Still, all of it, the beauty of the world, fields and roads around her, hills upon hills near home; this was not where she belonged. "When," she sighed, "will I find the place where I belong."

How bright the night sky was at that moment, its ignorance, its wisdom watching from above. How could she compare her sadness to the night sky, whose stars had been dying before she was thought of. If ever she would hope to live long enough to appreciate the universe, then she wanted to take the time to appreciate what she loved, and….everyone she had ever loved. Of course, if there ever was something to care about, it was all that lived, everything that ever lived.

As long as her studies continued, there would be hope.

Setting the time on her watch, Chloe whispered a promise then waited to fall apart. The places she recognized connected, memories exponential, fears falling, only to have it all disappear. If there were gaps which could be reached, she hardly touched them, but she felt the endless possibility. There were places with limits, and time was not always so flexible, she had to go. Colors interspersed with darkness and light, it all shifted until there was nothing but white.

In between a state of sadness and time confusion, it had taken a five minute cycle through the sleep machine to help her think clearly once more. Even then, there was so much to remember that she didn't want to forget. No, it went deeper, he had stained her, his presence the irremovable patch of color in her cookie cutter life. Change, it was coming, she felt it like a heat in her bones.

What could be said? Well…. she knew one thing, she had been happy, and everything, had been fascinating, confusing, and bright. As much as she needed to know the time, she waited a few moments to adjust. Problems and fears which had taken years of counseling, were fixed in a day.

Yes, if she closed her eyes, she could smile because he was there. Oh how her insides screamed, sensory stimulated, filled with wonderful confusion. For once, without hesitation she could care for someone without worry, without judgment. Perhaps it had always been true, perhaps she had always wanted it to be him. As a child she did feel funny, though childish sentiments aside, she adored his quiet intelligence, and calm cool temperament.

When did she begin to dream? Time, it wanted to make her a dreamer, and even if logic told her otherwise, it took a little longer than usual to accept it. Behind closed eyes, she could sense him, see him, knowing how real he had always been. If only she had made it all up, then at least she could laugh at the absurdity. Yet, it was still a dream which would not come true.

* * *

 **XXXXXXXX**

As time does, it passed.

When she found herself capable, she entered the room. It was one of many workspaces, but this was her assigned work area. Still, it would always be the room. The room was always white. Was it a room devoid of color or was it the purity and madness of the world concentrated on a single point and space?

Overall, the room was sterile, the contrast on everything and everyone that entered it made them seem dirty. Dry, the air chill like a freezer to cool the equipment. Sound echoed, heavy heartbeats, like the steady tribal drums of long ago. It would be another two minutes until she was calm enough to continue. She spoke, and the computer understood.

Then there was the waiting, as the hum of lights sang in annoyance. She stood, with reluctance, twisting and typing, setting the right coordinates. Small vibrations, the keyboard reacted, flashing diagrams, the machine responded. These actions were all as usual, nothing perplexing or corrupt. Still, this was not like the other times; no it was connected, she just knew.

The knowing, unlike seeing was terrifying and exciting. Warmth spread across her face and chest, lips bitten, eyes bright. Perhaps there would always be the thrill of going to the unknown, or the fear that made her skin itch; or perhaps the dry air was giving her a rash. Brows twisted in frustration as she replicated the previous setting. The settings on the console were correct, but she wasn't going anywhere.

High level members were the only ones with the training to use the equipment. Without the proper coordinates and code input, one could scatter their fragments all across the cosmos, without the hope of joining together all in one piece. Sometimes, it didn't feel like it mattered all that much, but of course she tried not to mess up. It could be frustrating working with such advanced tech when one was two cups of coffee short. "That's strange," she muffled a yawn, "I thought I set it to…"

"Chloe."

Once more the room felt cold, and her body froze. Her mind, as well trained as it was allowed her sentiment to cloud reality. Chloe, the name chosen at her birth, it was rare to hear her name spoken so… she would like to say similarly. Sometimes the monotonous voice of her boss reminded her of someone she knew a long, long time ago. She turned to face the owner of the voice. "Oh…. Um… Goo...good morning sir. Did… Did you need something?"

"I believe we do." came the multitude of voices.

With a nod, the clones approached her girlish frame, binding her wrists. "C-246, come with us."

"What? Did I do something wrong?"

"Not at all."

She had always hated him. At times it was his haircut, or his devilish smile, but what she specifically hated about him that day was the way he almost made her feel something other than her extreme dislike. "I swear I didn't tell…I… .. I followed the rules."

"I believe you, but we just need to confirm a few things is all."

"Geez..I….I thought… didn't I have to go and get some plant samples from the planet Bestruvious, year 5772?"

"Your trip will be postponed. For now, we will like to ask you a few questions."

"Aw man."

* * *

 **XXXXX**

Reaching such an emotional low was illogical. He could not remember how much time had been spent thinking of completely irrelevant topics, one of them being Soylent Green. It was morning, it was another morning, another morning on a another day. Out of the three of them, the Polar bear was always the first to wake. Punctuality had been ingrained into him early in his cub years, and even if he wanted to sleep in, he had to wake up early, or deal with the guilt of it afterwards.

Guilt, it was an emotion which had resurfaced recently. Whatever it was which made him think about the past, it brought about a storm of thoughts. With thoughts of the past came regrets, many he thought he had buried under reasoning and change. When a creature ceases its natural course, how does it return to where it belongs? The thought seemed to cross his mind far more often than he cared for it to.

Without trying, the memories lingered, sat, and sometimes buzzed around like a gnat, trying to get out and catch his attention. Life had come out of focus. Ice Bear felt a little less ice bear, and terribly, reluctantly human. The conflicting thoughts made him question his choices. Had he done the right thing?

Cold, if only it could settle in the places he needed it too. If only there was no feeling at all.

There was nothing like the chill in his bones, it was a predictable sort of comfort he was used to. Ice, it's frozen quiet kept him grounded, the cold kept him clean, it was everything and he belonged to it. Still, he would have to get up and see what the day had in store for him. Warmth rushed in through the cracks of the open fridge door. The kitchen, and all it contained was waiting for him.

Picking up his apron, he wondered what he should make for breakfast. It was one of those days where he didn't feel the need for anything unnecessarily elaborate. Pancakes sounded comforting to him, a nice stack dripping with the fragrant maple syrup he imported for his personal use. Nobody but him would have to know of this small luxury. The first batch, he ate, with a side of coco nutty bars, and a jar of peanut butter.

* * *

 **XXXXXX**

During his set of morning stretches, he couldn't help but wonder how this day would be anymore different than the last. Or the last, or the day before that. Would it be like the week before? Would the hours pass, and he would be caught in a standstill?

The sun bathed the earth in delicious warmth, the sparkling dew feeding the thirst of the green. Soon, he would head back inside, and work on the next batch of pancakes for his brothers. Time was moving, and he felt misplaced. Nothing had changed, right? Life had continued, and he had changed, hadn't he?

Time, it had become a vexing thing.

* * *

 **XXXXXXX**

The pleasing food smells encouraged his brothers to wakefulness, and drew them towards the kitchen. Grizz greeted everyone with the usual enthusiasm, kissing both of his younger brothers with the usual affection. Panda shrunk back from the unwanted affection, but softened at the sight of food. Both older brothers were met with the delightful pancake designs of their favorite characters. He left them to work on the other chores about the place, hoping to keep distracted.

Of course there were many forms of distraction, though none as productive as that of house chores, and of the duties of maintaining a household. To be sure, it seemed there was always more then enough to do, even if sometimes he wasn't exactly in the mood to do them.

* * *

 **XXXXXX**

"What a strange dream." she whispered.

If she lessened the importance of the memory, or demoted it to simply a dream, then it became a manageable, intangible thing. She should have been used to it by now, the habit of detachment; but how does one forget so easily? Pretty soon it would be time to take her supplements. Time travel really could take a toll on the immune system if one didn't take care of nutrition through the time periods.

It was simple really, when she thought about it. She blinked and he was gone. Like a dream, she felt herself already forgetting him and the events of the day. Over and over she forced herself to repeat the memories, and stood there for a good while, crying like a child. Lips bitten, tears freed, she had sunk down, and grieved in the silence of her world.

On her desk, her computer sat as a reminder. With a few clicks, all traces of her Yo Date profile were gone. When one was a chronobiologist, the likelihood of a steady relationship was unlikely, even if it existed in her timeline. She would get through this, there was so much she had yet to accomplish. Sometimes, it hurt to think that she was never going to see him again; well it was what she had thought.

If her research findings were correct, events could change, but the outcomes would have to be profitable to The Order of Eternity. In her department, she was well liked, and had many allies who assisted in her biochemistry research. Somehow, she managed to convince the Order to give her leave, in exchange for retrieving useful data, as well as small DNA samples. The last she checked, they were still enemies, that hadn't changed.

Hopefully, her beloved friend could change the past, so that at least there was a future she could look forward to, and perhaps things worth knowing realized. Oh, but what could she do? Nothing was promised, nothing at all.

* * *

 **XXXXXX**

On the news the weatherman said it was going to be a bright, sunny day, but with a small chance of scattered showers in the evening. The laundry which finished drying smelled of lavender. For the longest time he cared little for such a scent, but after he read Toki wo Kakeru Shōjo, his thoughts changed completely. Unlike Kazuko, his memories remained, and he didn't need a scent to remember. Yet, he was ever reminded by her presence, even if she was miles away.

His solnyshka smelled of gummies, her fingers of printed text, her essence….he needed to forget. The idea was sickening, he could not forget himself, Chloe was still around, just not his solnyshka. Scent was a powerful thing, it triggered sentiments, thoughts, things he could not control. Without control, there was no order, but madness. Perhaps he was mad, strange, and weird, but he was a living being, one which did feel, even if he did not care to.

From room to room he continued his chore. The bathroom still smelled of vanilla bubble bath. Nothing seemed too out of order in there, so he cleaned the tub and left. It was business as usual, and that was all that mattered. Ice Bear could wait.

Time would pass, and it would all happen soon. Still, he wondered what she was up to? Would she be up already? No, he had to stop that line of thinking before it went too far. She was still a child after all, and his age was equivalent of a man in his thirties or forties.

Morally, he would have to be patient, and focus on the attainable things. They were friends, and he would have to be grateful for even that much. Time did not stand still, but neither was he moving along with it. Seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, into months; it was passing. When he had finished his chores, he settled into his fridge, closing his eyes, hoping to fall asleep.

It was wrong, he should not feel the way he did. It was not the time, it all happened eat too soon, too fast, and too hard. Outside, Panda typed away, the clicks an irritating distraction. He was on the laptop again, updating his Yo Date profile. It was foolish really, the dating scene and the game of it.

All's fair in love and war. All is fair, right?

Emotions went against logic, and technically he wasn't even supposed to like anyone, let alone a human, but he needed her. No, he didn't need anyone, it was all hormones. What people call 'love' is just a chemical reaction that compels animals to breed. It hits hard, then it slowly fades, leaving one stranded. Leaving one all alone.

Fortunately enough, he managed to break the cycle, to rise above animalistic inclination with the help of supplements. Yet, thoughts crossed his mind. She would not stay little forever, and would need him eventually be hoped. Eventually, he would get over it. Would he?

Watching his brothers and their courtship rituals, he had gleaned a few things. Panda had gone through seven girlfriends, two of them virtual during the span of his depression. The need for companionship, especially in their part of the world was as natural to the culture as coffee chains. It was almost like a gateway drug, and the need to remain in the constant state of bliss was evident in Panda. The second eldest bear was in love with the concept, instead of the person it concerned.

Ice Bear thought it was a little less than honest. The way of ice was smooth, cold, resilient, and silent. These were the guidelines he lived by, honor all women, protect one's family, and stay alive. Nothing in particular had ever threw him off the natural course of life until the date. Nothing in his day to day life had changed, it was as though nothing had changed.

Time, however managed to change him.

Whether he was busy, or without occupation he felt a sigh escaping his lips before he could even think as to why. If he closed his eyes, he could see her, as vibrant, as intelligent, as observant. In dreams he could watch her smile and in the morning he'd miss her. There was no getting over her, he started before logic could reason. It would get better, if only he couldn't think.

The noise of his thoughts were more distracting than Pandas selfie pose. He thought he'd get over it in a day, perhaps a week, three weeks, but it was getting worse. He stared at the icicles in the fridge ceiling, then at paws, and felt angry about everything and himself. What use was there wasting time feeling bad for himself? If he had time to feel depressed, he had time to try something else.

* * *

 **XXXXXX**

Grizz could do this, it wasn't rocket science.

"It's left…ugh…or maybe..no wait, it's right."

The peanut butter wasn't going anywhere except into his stomach. However, there seemed to be a puzzle involved when trying to open said jar. "Dang, that doesn't look right either."

Throwing it against the wall, it dented, but didn't open. Grizz was hungry, and didn't want to wait."Maybe if I…", he swiped at it was his paw, slicing the plastic in four places. "Yup, that's it. Sweet."

No time was wasted licking the plastic clean."Hey Grizz?"

A happy mess smiled. "What's up little bro?"

Panda could not help but cringe at his eldest brother's primal instincts. "Ummm, I think…Don't you think he's been acting a little weird lately?"

Glancing over at the youngest brother, Grizz smiled. "I think he looks great as usual."

"No, I'm not asking if he looks weird, just look won't you?"

Ice Bear tapped his chin, browsing through various sci-fi books. Detailed plans spread across the kitchen floor. A flat and felix screwdriver sat side by side, unneeded at the moment. Grizz turned his gaze back to Panda and rose an eyebrow, intrigued and a little hungry. "Hmm, I don't know. Are you sure he isn't just building another robot?"

"Grizz, I think I would know a robot if I saw one. No this is just…. It's too sci fi, and not in ecchi, rom-con way. Loo…lo...look Grizz, we're talking major science… you know how those go."

"Oh no, this isn't good, I'm not losing my sweet baby bro to a face hugger."

"Now you're too worried. Look, I think this is sort of my fault. I made him go on that date, and he was okay for a while. Now, he just seems so, I don't know… mechanic? It's like he's running on automatic."

"Maybe we should just ask him what's going on."

The layout of the blueprints were outrageous, of course it wouldn't work. First of all, the fundamentals of time travel weren't just thrown together by accident. Then again, Doctor Who didn't help make him understand it either. The idea of time travel came to him while he was browsing his hidden library. If geniuses like Asimov, Wells, or Tsutsui think of it, why couldn't he do it too? A smile crossed his face at the absurdity of it, but he lived a dream, and he wanted to make it come true as soon as possible.

Panda frowned as Grizz approached the youngest. "No don't…" his voice barely a whisper.

"Hey baby bro, what are you making there?"

"Time manipulator."

"That's cool, but out of a Batman watch and an old cellphone?"

The thought had not occurred to him, considering that…. well things always seemed to work themselves out thanks to amazing staff of cartoon network writers. Considering, however, the current, inexperienced writer of this tale, he sighed. "Ice Bear needs to get supplies."

"Okaaay, but if you're going out, can you buy some pizza bagels on the way back?"

"Hmmm."

Once he was gone, Panda waved his arms about."That's not weird?"

"Isn't he's always a little weird?"

"Yeah, but I mean weirder than weird."

"I'm not sure, he's always been independent. Let's give the guy some room to do his own thing, and we'll intervene when things aren't looking so hot."

Frustrated, Panda was ready for a long rant about annoying brothers and his horrible life without a girlfriend. "It's not my fault."

With softened eyes, Grizz patted his paw. "It's going to be alright. Just…it will get better, and once it gets better, we get food"

* * *

 **XXXXXXXXX**

The lame thing about the future was how sedate the color contrast was. The conference room was the worst in her opinion, considering she had just come back from a dimension of nothing but crystal particles. As usual, behavior, brain waves, and vitals were checked after every return trip to the decontamination station. Whenever they thought she seemed a little off, she was escorted by guards to the conference room, sterile and devoid of fun. And sometimes, it was painful.

A few week's ago, they immediately dragged her away, while she was still a big mess of tears. The rules were strict, and if you didn't fit in, then there was consequences. They knew she was valuable of course, so they would think twice before causing any permanent damage, but they enjoyed tampering with her feelings. Over the years, promises had been made, but because of her misbehavior or mistakes, she was punished. The latest punishment was to erase memories, and only the best were taken.

Sometimes she hated herself for what she had to do, but many memories they managed to steal were completely fabricated. Though, once they did manage to erase the memory of her mother's face. If she ever tried to think about it, it would cause a terrible headache. Mother, she missed her all the time, and she should have listened when she had the chance. She was almost erased, but she managed to save her by sealing her current memories and sending her to a better world, where there would be nothing but endless blues, and paradise, with enough plants and animals to keep her occupied with her studies.

While Chloe had not broken the rules, the questions were usually worse than the answers. It was part of the cleansing method, to establish whether or not she was still qualified for her position with the Eternals. And despite their early doubts, everyone left satisfied. Of course they did, she had checked the outcome with different variables, most of them favorable. A few of them, including her reality, were a little heartbreaking.

Amidst her sterile, stern world was a reason to hope. In her home lab were the keys to her freedom. In a test tube sat a hair, and she smiled at the wonderful complexity, simple, and unique, and his. With this, there was a future, and with her current equipment, she could try again and get it right. Still, Chloe would never be cruel, and if something went wrong, then she would make it right.

However, the technology required to accomplish her dreams didn't exist yet, but she knew where it did. Chloe C-246 would bide her time, and look for the nearest opportunity to find her. Still, at least she had a hope, and that would be enough; at least until it wasn't.


End file.
